Being rescued by pirates was becoming as fashionable as being kidnapped by one. Romantic notions were sweeping across the kingdom. Though Lawrence was fortunate enough to be born in a time of peace and it must have made his fellow kinsmen bored and recall the past with dreamy endeavors. About the time of Lawrence’s squire years, the kingdom needed new entertainment and a new hero came about, the one with an inescapably villainous past, but a charming, if not cheeky nature. The kingdom was in thirst of such a character that would go to whatever lengths to overcome his dark nature and wild tendencies for the slightest chance of absolution. Staring at the infamous Pirate Cathan Emyr, commander of the ship called Živa, which left a wake of crimson waters, Lawrence could hear bards singing the songs that had yet to be written.  His smoldering eyes and cobalt locks would make the noblewomen swoon and all would demand the cruel pirate be pardoned, because of his role in saving the dearly beloved princess. Not until this moment did Lawrence realize the depth of his anger for his brother, for he was teetering on the border of raw hatred.

 

     Even above his guilty realization, Lawrence had to admit that his brother was not the architect of this moment. It was Cathan’s own sense of duty to family that made him follow Lawrence and a generous amount of knights borrowed from the king’s personal guard. Capability and adventurous resolve made him the first to notice the princess, leap from his steed, track through the thick mud and retrieve the princess from the edge of a bog. All of it was quite heroic indeed, but Cathan was not there to rescue the princess, nor was he looking for any pardon. With the princess’s soft jaw smudged with dirt and laying against Cathan’s rigid chest, and her body limp in his arms, Cathan did look quite the hero. Only Lawrence knew better. He knew the real reason half the army, a local hunter acting as guide in the silver woods and a gangly pirate were tramping the woods that bordered Lawrence’s kingdom and Ruadihri, was that Cathan had screwed up just about as badly as he usually did. If Cathan had recused himself of involvement in his siblings’ affairs, they would not be there. Instead, they were recovering a princess and still missing a lady of court.

 

     Mira could be the architect of such an event. Sweet Lady Mira had gentle eyes that disguised a mind as devious as her bastard brother’s, though she didn’t feel the same duty to Lawrence. Not that she wasn’t bound by some sense of virtue, it just wasn’t to Lawrence. It wasn’t to anyone in particular. Though Mira would never put the princess in harm, she would have to know that something drastic would be needed not just for Cathan to receive royal pardon, but so Cathan could see the good that could come from putting his energy to constructive use.

 

     When Cathan had first picked up the fair princess, Adina’s eyes rolled forward and she breathed, “Mira?”

 

     Lawrence’s heart skipped a beat. Hopefully, only the princess would notice the strong family resemblance between Mira and Cathan. Often Lawrence wondered if Mira would not care so much for Cathan if they did not have the same mess of thick black curls and doe eyes. If she did not see another version of herself in him, maybe Mira could let Cathan go. Cold wind nipped at a lock of Lawrence’s pale brown hair just as Cathan grinned, “Not quite, love.”

 

     Love? Other than a pirate, who speaks as such to a princess? It was difficult for Lawrence to keep his temper. Twisting in Cathan’s hold, the princess spoke with earnest distress, “We must find her. They want her.”

 

     If Mira was the architect of Cathan’s absolution, she would not be missing to see it. Even when she could not claim recognition for her ingenuity, Mira would not miss the chance to bask in its glorious shadow, nor would she leave the princess undefended. Whatever game Cathan had drawn Mira into, intentionally or not, their sister was in unspeakable trouble. All clues pointed that she was in Ruadihri and the king’s men could not gallivant across Ruadihri lands without Ruadihri approval. The two realms were disastrously suspicious of each other. It was a miracle that the Princess was found on the border, for it would have meant war if Estavin’s men invaded. For a princess, they would, but for a mere lady, a different set of negotiations would ensue.

 

     By the looks on the men's faces,  Adina knew Mira was lost. Adina insisted, “She sacrificed herself to save me. It's why they let me go.” There was nothing more than intuition leading her to this conjecture, but Adina knewit to be true. There was no other logic to her escape. 

 

     It was a sweet thought and possibly quite true. Mira would have done anything to save a friend and was equipped with a rare set of gifts to do so. Unexplainable things happened around his sister, though few would ever assume that Mira could be responsible for those things. Not even those in Mira’s family spoke of it, but it was obvious to those closest to her that these odd things occurred when she was around. Sometimes it was a relief, for once a man tried to force himself on Mira not long after she’d reached an age of dual numbers, and he ended up thrown across the room. While it was a comforting that she could defend herself, Mira later confessed to Cathan and Lawrence that she was aiming for the window.  The problem was that Mira’s ‘gifts’ were hardly run by her emotions. While she claimed innocence, she bore the same troublesome shine in her eyes that Lawrence saw in Cathan when he so nobly volunteered for the rescue mission.

 

     Lawrence felt himself begin to rage at Cathan agian. If only Cathan had accepted the arranged engagement between Mira and Wendell. They would not have been in that mess. If the princess was captured near the estate, then they would have caught Mira off-guard and in that regard, you know he saved her. The very thought of it made Lawrence grind his teeth, since he wouldn't have Cathan to blame for it. So long as he was playing what ifs, then if Mira could save the princess, Mira could  save herself.

 

     No. Someone took Mira because they were interested in Mira alone. Cathan definitely had his part to play in Mira’s disappearance. His timely return was too fortuitous for his hands to be as clean as the frost that clung to the silver oak trees.

 

     “If she’s full of such fortitude, than she’ll be fine,” Cathan assured Adina as a knight with medical experience gathered the princess from Cathan's arms.

 

     “She must be near here,” Cathan muttered for Lawrence’s ears only. “She couldn’t be that far away so fast.”

 

     Bad timing made another knight slap Lawrence’s back, saying, “We found the princess, guess we can all go back.”

 

     “The sister of this fine gentleman is still out there,” Cathan interjected. “Are you half a hero, for you only save half the damsels?”

 

     “Enough,” Lawrence muttered out of habit of protecting his brother. Unlike Mira, Cathan’s anger was his compass and Lewrence had to settle him before something drastic happened. “We are on the border of Ruadihri. A pirate such as yourself might not know, but we can’t explore those lands without Ruadihri permission. Not even for the princess.”

 

     “You’d let your own sister rot as someone else’s prisoner, because you didn’t have permission to do otherwise,” Cathan taunted.

 

     “There is a right way and a wrong way to do things that the civilized must consider,” Lawrence kept his voice low, grasped Cathan’s shoulders and shoved him out of earshot, “But most of all, do not act as if you love her more than me. She would be safe if it wasn't for you.”

 

     In a harsh whisper, Cathan replied, "She'd be safe if I hadn't allowed her to return to you and your archaic ways. Arranged marriage, really? I delivered her to castle door safely." Loudly, with his usual dramatic flair, Cathan announced, “You and your civilized noblemen can go about doing things with etiquette. As a pirate, I’ve no fear of being concerned with such brutish human constructs.”

 

     Turning away, Cathan began striding for the wilderness, shouting, “Mitya. Mitya.”

 

     “Enough,” Lawrence leapt at his brother, grasping his shirt so Cathan would stop. How dare he be so stupid as to use Ruadihri dimunitives in calling for Mira. “I do not know what you did, but this is your fault, isn’t it? Why are Ruadihri in this kingdom, looking for a girl they shouldn’t even know about?”

 

     “Why must you always blame others for the unfavorable things that happen to you? Perhaps you are to blame for her disappearance. Maybe she could not risk the death of her heart at having to marry such a pompous man,” Cathan whispered, before he shoved his brother away.

 

     “Quit this and explain to me what’s between you two,” Efraim unknowingly strode between brothers.

 

     “Forgive me, your grace,” Cathan gave a showy bow to the prince, “But your devoted lord will not cross into Ruadihri, for fear of causing you undue tension with your neighboring country. I merely pointed out that a pirate such as myself is not restrained by such matters and neither is the hunter. We are more than capable of finding a simple girl. Your kingdom can’t be held accountable for my mistakes.”

 

     Lawrence didn’t even notice the hunter was in earshot until Cathan put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. The young man was odd. He met them on the edge of Lawrence's land, as if he knew they were going to need a guide to Ruadihri. While the hunter had been honest so far, Lawrence was suspicious. Cathan seemed to recognize the hunter and that made Lawrence even more wary. His eyes pinned on the young man, Lawrence thought he was beginning to understand what part Cathan had to play in Mira’s disappearance. Was this just an elaborate charade to guard Mira's heart and had she gone to Ruadihri willingly? The potential answer weighed heavily on him. 

 

     “Neither can the actions of a grieving brother be held accountable,” Efriam said and with that, both Lawrence and Cathan knew the King had given his permission for both of them to go. 

 

     “Or a grieving fiancee,” Wendel interjected, striding forward.

 

     “I will need you with me, seeking the permission of the king to free Mira. Please go inquire about the health of my sister for me and instruct her safe passage back home,” Efriam said. Wendell was displeased at being placed second, but he could hardly speak against royalty. Efriam turned toward the other men and now that the four of them were alone, Efriam spoke freely as he could. “I’ve no claim over what a pirate does and you clearly care about your sister.”

 

     “How did you guess?” Cathan wondered.

 

     “You called her Mitya, instead of Mira,” Kerion answered, one of the few words the hunter said.

 

     Quickly, Lawrence covered for Cathan out of habit. “His mother is Ruadihri,” Lawrence explained, “So he uses their diminutives.”

 

     “You’ve said it as well, back when we first started this search. Why would a hunter, a mere guide, so intimately call out to a girl he doesn't know,” Efriam inquired of the hunter.

 

      “I,” he started, looking like a rabbit swallowed by the noose of a trap. “Was just copying him.”

 

      “So that’s it,” Lawrence decided, after studying the boy. “Mira writes to you about her betrothal and your incessant need to prove you are our brother drove you here with her summer love. It’s autumn now, brother, and Mira has to grow up.”

 

     Swallowing numerous hurtful replies, Cathan stated, “It’s good to hear you say brother.”

 

     Lawrence was not swayed. He had to grip his fist tightly to keep from seeing red. “Stop wasting time and tell me what your plan was for her. Whatever you did, it obviously went very wrong.”

 

     “It’s not like you think,” Cathan said. “This is a harsh accusation for one brother to give another.”

 

     Grabbing Cathan's shoulders, Lawrence said, “It’s true that you are just a half-brother, but you could never lie to me.”

 

     “You did have a strange ability for always getting the truth," Cathan told Lawrence, "Mira is not the only gifted one in our family.”

 

     “Now I know why she was wanted,” Efriam breathed so quietly, it was almost mouthed.

 

     If it stopped their wasting of time, Cathan admitted, “It’s not like you think. I did kidnap her, and it was before I even knew she was in love with this puppy, but he’s still better than that yuppie you’ve got. All I knew was that she was going to go into a future she did not deserve to please you and I knew it would kill her heart. I have a cousin with an estate in southern Ruadihri.”

 

     Lawrence blinked. “It’s Ruadihri. There are no estates.”

 

     “They’re not barbarians. A cousin with lands, a household, and a castle, if that description pleases you better, my lord,” Cathan replied. “She was not appreciative of my efforts. She convinced me to come back with this plan, saying I rescued her in hopes at receiving consideration for a chance of royal pardon.”

 

     Making a noise of disbelief, Lawrence snorted, “That’s it? She just talked you into coming home.”

 

     Since he could never lie to his brother, Cathan answered, “She’s quite persuasive and she wasn’t wrong. Pirates end up swinging from a rope or the leash of a royal pardon. I’ve taken piracy as far as I can go, there’s not much left out there for me to conquer and being hanged is a terrible way to end a career.”

 

     Still in disbelief, Lawrence couldn't imagine that Cathan would return to the country that spurned him so easily. “You were going to change your colors because of that alone? I've never once seen your colors change.” 

 

     “I’m a chameleon. I change colors quite often. I used be loyal to you, didn’t I? Where do you think you’re going, wolf cub?”

 

     In his tracks, Kerion stopped. “Your bickering is not going to save Mitya.”

 

     Cathan's black curls swung as he turned to face Kerion. “You’re not going without me.”

 

    “Has anyone else considered that kidnap for ransom is not Ruadihri manner,” Efriam interjected. 

 

     “I’d beg to differ, your grace,” Kerion responded. “We have our scum like anyone else.”

 

     “Not among the nobility,” Efriam pointed out. “It’s not how your king operates his realm. My court and yours have their differences and may not be allies, but Ruadihri culture is just as gracious and honorable as it is stubborn. Any one of your people who stumbled across her would feel the pressure of cultural tradition to free her.”

 

     Kerion paused and then cautiously agreed. “This is true.” His mouth was a thin line, as if was disappointed that the king of this country had figured that out. 

 

     Perceptively, Efriam continued, "And I don't imagine you were just going to wander the woods, hoping to run into her and her captives, so you must have thought about where to search."

 

     After a long moment of staring, in which the hunter weighed his options, he gave a slight nod and admitted, "Baila." In case Lawrence did not recognize the Ruadihri word, Kerion confirmed, "I do have an idea." 

 

     “So that’s in our favor," Efraim said.  "Wendell and Lawrence will go to Ruadihri court. The two of you will do what you do, as I cannot expect that a pirate or a hunter from another kingdom will follow my command and from both fronts we will bring back Mira. Now I'm going to take my sister home." 

 

     No particular man was happy with the arrangement. Kerion wanted to shake the pirate as quick as possible, feeling it traitorous to guide an outsider through Ruadihri. This was a feeling Cathan was aware of, but heeded no mind, since he was certain they had the thought of checking the same place first. Cathan could only rack his brain as to how he watched Mira enter her home one moment, only to be disappear the next.  Either it was her own rare magical gift, or someone else's to blame. 

 

     Wendel yearned to trample after the hunter and the pirate. When stories were told about this, it wasn't the two nobles sent to court who would receive all the glory. Secretly, Lawrence hoped that Efriam was giving him permission to follow Cathan and Kerion, but Lawrence supposed that whatever Cathan did in Ruadihri, Lawrence would need to be in the Ruadihri court to smooth it over and save Cathan from the gallows. Again.